The answers to the first questionnaire are beginning to come in for the iconography work group: people want to work !!! But we are far from developing a model for an iconography file. For the moment, we are working on inventories and bibliographies and on the systems being used; the result being that everyone is doing whatever he or she can with a little bit of  'Garnier'  and a little bit of   'Iconclass'.
A second questionnaire is being prepared on how those responsible select their vocabulary and organise it, on the use of reference texts (Male, Ripa, etc.), on the place of pictures in their data bases and upon the change in possible description that this will bring about.

The Nairobi meeting should allow us to take stock of the situation and, depending the number of participants and their tastes, we should be able to begin to share the work, which will consist of conducting research for each subject into the techniques, periods and methods preferred by each country or continent, etc.

Claire Constans
Musée National des Châteaux de Versailles et du Trianon
78000 Versailles

Tel.: 33 1 30 84 76 48 Fax: 33 1 30 84 74 00